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Sunday, 28 October 2012

Busy, Busy, Busy

You've probably noticed I've not been here on my blog very much lately. It's not that I've got lazy, honest! In fact, the truth is quite the opposite. I've been making a concerted writing effort and I'm glad to say, I've finally been able to write "The End" at the end (obviously) of "Song of the Jikhoshi", sequel to "Treespeaker". It's been a long, hard slog on this one. I don't know why, because it started out so well, but even now there are plot holes an elephant could waltz through, so it's going to need some rewriting.

I've put it away though, and won't be touching it again until December, because next month, as evidenced by that lovely little light blue widget thingy off to the right there ---> I'm going to be taking part in NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. For those who don't know, it's the month when writers with no sense...er...I mean with oodles of enthusiasm... try to write 50000 words in 30 days.

I don't for a minute expect myself to do the whole 50000 words (I know, that's being defeatist, but it's also being realistic), but if I can make a really good start on "Ellyeth's Harp", the sequel to "Mark of the Dragon Queen", then the space between publications will not be quite so long next time.

I've even written a plan - unprecedented for me. Usually I head straight out in pursuit of a vague idea. Hmmm, maybe that's why Song of the Jikhoshi took so long? My major qualm is that I hope to include some romance in this one and I really don't have the foggiest how I'm going to handle it. Maybe I'll just do what young romantics should do - relax and see what happens. My characters might surprise me with what they come up with. In the meantime, I have a pile of diaries I wrote as a teenager, full of the angst of thwarted romance. That should get me in the right mood!

Keep an eye on that widget and if it doesn't seem to be progressing, feel free to give me a virtual kick!

Trees Are Not Lollipops

This is my motto, first heard when I was five years old and asked to draw a tree. Our teacher looked at all the drawings we'd done and said, "They're lovely, but remember trees are not lollipops". She made us look at trees more closely and see what they really looked like. It helped me with my drawings, but now I apply it to everything. I don't accept what other people say about something or someone until I've looked carefully for myself.